Purasol Laboratories Release: Eerily Early Flu Season Has Arrived With a Vengeance 1/10/2013 9:31:09 AM

SUNCOAST, Fla., Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Halloween may have brought us witches & goons & goblins, but it also brought us a glimpse of scary things to come. As flu cases started trickling through in late October, instead of post-New Year, we couldn't have foreseen the current levels we are now witnessing. Instead of the start of season rolling through right now, we are at levels which usually aren't seen until mid-March, and that spells trouble.

Centers For Disease Control (CDC) officials are reporting this to be the earliest and deadliest start to the flu virus season in over a decade. They also report the rise in states recording flu activity to have gone up an alarming 25% since Christmas Eve to include 41 states with 18 childrens fatalities. And with this seasons departure not coming anytime soon, those numbers are sure to rise significantly.

Swamped hospitals are experiencing "at capacity" waiting rooms, with some erecting booming triage tents in parking lots to absorb the overflow volume of patients. With numbers at double, and triple, the average for this time of year, doctors and nurses are overwhelmed. CDC estimates 200,000 people are hospitalized each year due to influenza infection and anywhere between 3,000 and 49,000 will die. If these numbers scare you, and you dread the crippling effects of the flu as much as most do, you should take every precaution available to avoid it. As grandma said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

New studies have shed light on the not so great news that influenza vaccines don't do as well as initially thought, however they still provide considerable protection. With over 300 rampant strands of influenza out there, scientists must guess on which combination of flu killers will work best in the upcoming season. Obviously our vaccine system needs improvement, but its still the safest bet to get your flu shot. Although numbers vary year to year, on average the vaccine is 59% protective in adults 18-65, and nasal vaccines are 83% protective in children. Unfortunately, the worst effectivity is in the group at the greatest severe infection risk the elderly. The CDC stresses that the most precaution should be concentrated on the highest, most susceptible, risk groups: children, pregnant females, and the elderly.

Spreading it Forward

In states with high influenza rates, 70-80% of the coughs or sneezes we hear around us stem from the flu. Consequently, the virus travels thru the air onto bannisters, computer keyboards, door handles, menus at the diner, and potentially breathed into our lungs. The flu virus can survive up to 8 hours on hard surfaces such as metal or plastic once touched it will likely spread to your nose and mouth. On average, we touch our faces 18 times an hour, thereby providing the virus a clear path to our lungs. Spots to fear at work ? - How about your water bottle, or those elevator buttons, or the coffee machine, or the dreaded copier which may all be coated with influenza germs.

The CDC strongly recommends keeping your hands clean after touching foreign objects especially during flu season. While hand washing with soap and water for 30 seconds is preferred, we know that option is not always practical, or available.

The CDC also recommends the supplementary use of hand sanitizers and antimicrobial cleansers to ward off these deadly germs when washing with soap and water is not available.

But even these aren't always accessible either...until now.

"We think its completely unacceptable that even one more family mourn the loss of a loved one from something as simple and avoidable as the flu, we pledge to make decontamination as convenient and accessible as humanly possible," said Joe Carrasco, Director of Product Development, ClenZeal.

"Bottom line is if its not easy and convenient to use, you wont use it. If you're not using it because its buried in the bottom of your purse, or your desk drawer, then why even buy it? We've made a product line that is hands down the most accessible on earth in keeping you and your family safe through any flu season.

ClenZeal offers a wide range of gear that fits your busy, "on the run", lifestyle. As if that weren't enough, their formulas are 10% stronger than the leading products on the market.

ClenZeal is a subsidiary line of Purasol Laboratories LLC (www.purasollabs.com), providing exploration and development into the improved health and well-being of the general public through extensive and laborious scientific methodology research. Established in 2007 and proudly based in St. Petersburg, Florida USA.